Multi-antenna tuned wearable article

ABSTRACT

A wearable article, system, and method includes a structure configured to enclose a body part, a first antenna, in a first positon on or within the structure, tuned to communicate according to a wireless communication modality through air, a second antenna, in a second position on or within the structure, tuned to communicate according to the wireless communication modality through the body part, the first antenna being tuned differently than the second antenna, and a transceiver, operatively coupled to at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna, configured to communicate with an external antenna via the at least one of the first and second antennas according to the wireless communication modality.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/237,778, filed Apr. 22, 2021, which applicationis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/369,115, filedMar. 29, 2019, issued on May 18, 2021 as U.S. Pat. No. 11,010,653, whichapplication is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/564,803, filed Oct. 6, 2017, now issued on Jun. 11, 2019 as U.S. Pat.No. 10,318,858, which application is a U.S. National Stage Filing under35 U.S.C. 371 from International Patent Application Serial No.PCT/US2016/026761, filed Apr. 8, 2016, published on Oct. 13, 2016 as WO2016/164804 A1, which application claims the benefit of priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/144,773, filed Apr. 8, 2015,all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to wearablearticles configured for active communication while being worn.

BACKGROUND

Ultra high frequency (UHF) wireless communication may vary in operationfrequency between and among certain countries, but in general may beunderstood to occur over the range of approximately 300 megahertz (MHz)to approximately three (3) gigahertz (GHz). Certain regions throughoutthe world utilize a variety different of industrial, scientific, andmedical (ISM) bands for UHF communications. Certain ISM bands arecentered around approximately 900 MHz, with the center frequencies ofthose bands falling generally within the range of approximately 869 MHzto approximately 915 MHz.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation inthe figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cutaway depiction of a wearable article, in an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an RF communication circuit, in an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a layout of an RF communication circuit on a substrate, in anexample embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a depiction of a wearable article including an RFcommunication circuit, in an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a system for transmitting wireless signalsto a wearable article, in an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for making a wearable article, in an exampleembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example methods and systems are directed to wearable articles configuredfor active UHF communication while being worn. Examples merely typifypossible variations. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, components andfunctions are optional and may be combined or subdivided, and operationsmay vary in sequence or be combined or subdivided. In the followingdescription, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details areset forth to provide a thorough understanding of example embodiments. Itwill be evident to one skilled in the art, however, that the presentsubject matter may be practiced without these specific details.

The ISM bands and other regional and international communication bandsclustered around approximately 900 MHz (herein after “the 900 MHzbands”) may be useful in a variety of circumstances, including but notlimited to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, chips, and thelike, as known in the art. However, various substances and materials,including water and other constituent parts of humans, animals, andclothing, among other things, may be impermeable or otherwise inhibitingof wireless signals in the 900 MHz bands that are normally tuned fortransmission through air. Thus, while RFID tags, for instance, have beenutilized in conjunction with articles of apparel such as clothes, shoes,and the like, such RFID tags or other wireless transmitters in the 900MHz bands may be of substantially reduced range and effectivity whilethe wearable article is actually being worn on a person's body.

An RFID tag with a UHF antenna that is positioned in a shirt, forinstance, may communicate to a suitable range in directions away fromthe body of the wearer of the shirt but may not communicate indirections that pass through the wearer. An RFID tag in a shoe may beeffectively unable to communicate at all while the shoe is being worn ifthe tag is in the sole or heel of the shoe. Even if the RFID tag ispositioned higher in the shoe, such as in the tongue, effectivecommunication may still be limited both by the presence of the foot andthe proximity of the tag to the ground. Circumstances in which RFID tagsare attached to a shoe intentionally place the RFID at a distinctdistance from the foot of the wearer to maintain the ability tocommunicate at an effective distance.

Actions taken to tune a UHF antenna to communicate effectively through ahuman body may, however, reduce the effectivity of the UHF antenna whenthe wearable article is not being worn by a person. Additionally, thecircumstances of wearing the wearable article may place the UHF antennaaway from the body, in the case of an overly-large shirt, for instance.Thus, to tune the antenna to the body of the wearer may result inreduced effectiveness under the circumstances in which the wearablearticle isn't being worn.

Wearable articles have been developed that provide multiple antennas forwireless communication. A first antenna is a UHF antenna forcommunication in the 900 MHz bands that is not tuned to the presence ofan animal body. A second antenna is a UHF antenna for communication inthe 900 MHz bands that is tuned to the presence of an animal body, suchas that of a human or other mammal. In various examples, only thebody-tuned UHF antenna is included. In further examples, a third antennais tuned to communicate in bands around 13.5 MHz or according to otherwireless communication standards. In various examples, only the secondand third antennas are included. The various antennas may be controlledand either actively or passively coordinated to prevent interferencebetween one another by a single transmitter circuit.

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a wearable article 100, including componentscontained within the wearable article 100 and not necessarily visiblefrom perspective illustrated, in an example embodiment. As illustrated,the wearable article 100 is an article of footwear, specifically a shoe.However, it is to be understood that while the principles describedherein are with specific reference to the wearable article 100, theprinciples described herein may be applied to any suitable wearablearticle, without limitation to additional wearable articles disclosedherein.

The wearable article 100 includes a structure 102 including an outsole104 designed to come into contact with a surface, such as the ground ora floor, an insole 106 configured to seat a human foot, an upper section108 configured to enclose the human foot, and a tongue 110 configured tofacilitate securing the wearable article 100 to the human foot via laces112. The outsole 104 and/or the insole 106 may be configured within amiddle section 114 to seat and secure the arch of a human foot. It is tobe recognized that this is a simplified depiction of a conventionalarticle of footwear and that various articles of footwear mayincorporate any of a variety of components or features. Further, certainarticles of apparel 100 may not incorporate all of these features or mayinclude these features in other formats (e.g., a sandal may incorporatethe outsole 104 and a reconfigured upper section 106 and no insole 106,tongue 110, and laces 112). It is contemplated that the principlesdisclosed herein will be applicable and adaptable to any of a range ofwearable articles 100.

The wearable article 100 further includes a radio frequency (“RF”)communication circuit 116. The RF communication circuit 116 mayincorporate some conventional features of RFID tags known in the art aswell as the various features disclosed herein. As illustrated, the RFcommunication circuit 116 is positioned within the middle section 114,seated within and enclosed by the outsole 104. However, in variousexamples the RF communication circuit 116 may be positioned between theoutsole 104 and insole 106, within and enclosed by the insole 106,within the upper section 108, such as on a side of the wearable article,or within the tongue 110.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an RF communication circuit 116, in anexample embodiment. In the illustrated example, the RF communicationcircuit 116 is or includes a tri-port antenna, including: a firstantenna 200 that is tuned to transmit UHF signals effectively throughair; a second antenna 202 that is tuned to transmit UHF signalseffectively through a human body (see, e.g., Santiago et al, “BroadbandUHF RFID Passive Tag Antenna for Near-Body Applications”, IEEE Antennasand Wireless Propagation Letters, Vol. 12, (2013), pp. 136-139,incorporated herein by reference in its entirety); and a third antenna204 that is configured to communicate according to a different wirelessmodality than that of the first and second antennas 200, 202, such asaccording to near field communication (NFC) at approximately 13.5 MHz,such as according to any one or more standards including ISO14443B,ISO1443A NFC Type 4, and ISO 15693 (including contemporary and previousversions of those standards as well as versions of those standards thatare yet to be promulgated or adopted). In various examples, the firstand second antennas 200, 202 communicate according to a UHF standard,including any one or more of Gen2 or ISO18000-6C (again includingversions of those standards that are past, current, or that may bedeveloped). In various examples, only the first and second antennas 200,202 are incorporated. In an example, only one of the antennas 200, 202,204 is incorporated.

The first antenna 200 is positioned in a first position on or within thestructure 102. In an example, the first position is on the RFcommunication circuit 116 substrate. The second antenna 202 ispositioned in a second position on or within the structure 102. In anexample, the second position is on the RF communication circuit 116substrate as well. In such examples, the first and second positions maybe understood to be the same, common position, though it is to beunderstood that the first and second antennas 200, 202 may still bephysically separated. The third antenna 204 is positioned in a thirdposition on or within the structure. In the example provided above, thethird position may be on the tongue 110 of the wearable article 100 orin any other suitable location.

The RF communication circuit 116 further includes first, second, andthird transceivers 206, 208, 210 each individually coupled to arespective one of the antennas 200, 202, 204. Each transceiver 206, 208,210 may include componentry such as a voltage rectifier and a modulatoras appropriate for the respective antenna 200, 202, 204. Thetransceivers 206, 208, 210 are coupled to an electronic data storage212, such as an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(“EEPROM”) circuit. In various implementations, individual ones of thetransceivers 206, 208, 210 may be combined, with a single transceiver,such as the transceiver 206, providing transmitting and receivingfunctionality for multiple antennas. In an example, the singletransceiver 206 is coupled to and configured to be a transceiver for UHFsignals for both of the first and second antennas 200, 202, and thesecond transceiver 208 may be omitted. In an example, a singletransceiver 206 provides transmitting and receiving functionality forall three antennas 200, 202, 204. Further, the individual transceivers206, 208, 210 may be understood to form a single, unified transceiverfor the RF communication circuit 116 as a whole, albeit with discretecomponentry configured to provide the various wireless communicationmodalities disclosed herein.

More generally, the first and second antennas 200, 202 are configured toreceive wireless signals transmitted according to a first wirelesscommunication modality, such as UHF. The differences in the physicalcharacteristics of the first and second antennas 200, 202 with respectto one another make the antennas tuned to the first wirelesscommunication modality in different environments, such as through theair and through the body, as disclosed herein. The third antenna 204 isconfigured to receive wireless signals transmitted according to a secondwireless communication modality different than the first wirelesscommunication modality, such as NFC.

The RF communication circuit 116 as illustrated is a passive RFcommunication circuit 116 and, as a result, draws energy from receivedRF signals rather than an internal power supply, such as a battery.However, various examples of the RF communication circuit 116 may beactive and incorporate an internal power source and relatively powerintensive componentry not illustrated herein.

The antennas 200, 202, 204 as illustrated are in close proximity of oneanother, in various examples with less than two centimeters ofseparation between the antennas 200, 202, 204, and in various examplesless than one centimeter of separation. In an example illustratedherein, the antennas 200, 202, 204 are screen printed on a singlesubstrate or are printed on multiple substrates that are neverthelesslocated in the same part of the wearable article 100. In variousalternative examples, one or more of the antennas 200, 202, 204 arediscrete components that may be spatially separate or separated from oneanother. In an illustrative and non-limiting example, the first andsecond antennas 200, 202 may be located in the same part of the wearablearticle 100, such as the middle section 114 as illustrated, while thethird antenna may be located in the tongue 110 and operatively coupledto the transceiver 210 via a conductor. In various examples, theantennas 200, 202, 204 may be sited on the wearable article in anadvantageous position for that individual antenna 200, 202, 204.

The electronic data storage 212 includes or is configured to includeinformation about the wearable article and/or a person associated withthe wearable article. The information about the wearable article 100 mayinclude, without limitation, a make and model of the wearable article100, a size of the wearable article 100, and information that may beutilized to prove the authenticity of the wearable article 100, such asa coded serial number. Such information may be coded in to theelectronic data storage 212 at a time of manufacture or later in asupply chain. The information about the wearable article 100 may furtherinclude information which may be transmitted and written to theelectronic data storage 212 at or after a point of sale, including adate and location of sale. The information about a person may betransmitted and written to the electronic data storage at or after apoint of sale and may include a name or other information about apurchaser of the wearable article 100, an intended recipient of thewearable article 100, or a person to whom the wearable article 100 hasbeen transferred.

The RF communication circuit 116 optionally includes or is coupled to anoutput device 214. The output device 214 is configured to produce avisual (e.g., a light), aural (e.g., a human-perceptible sound), orother detectable output dependent on whether or not the first antenna200 and/or the second antenna 202 has received enough energy to conductwireless communications. As such, the output of the output device 214provides an indication of which one or both of the first and secondantennas 200, 202 is engaged in wireless communication. The outputdevice 214 may produce a different output dependent on which of theantennas 200, 202 is receiving the communication, such as with adifferent color light, a different light pattern, a different soundtone, and the like, to enable an observer to know which antenna 200, 202is engaged in wireless communication.

While the output device 214 is depicted as being coupled directlybetween the antennas 200, 202 and their respective transceivers 206,208, it is noted that the output device 214 may be coupled on theopposite side of the transceiver 206, 208 from the antennas 200, 202, oranywhere within or coupled to the RF communication circuit 116 whilestill permitting a signal to be transmitted to the output device 214indicative of the receipt of communications by one or both of theantennas 200, 202.

While the RF communication circuit 116 is described with respect to apassive RF communication system. However, it is to be recognized andunderstood that the principles disclosed herein may readily applied toactive systems on the wearable article 100, including those with a powersource and/or embedded processor.

FIG. 3 is a layout of the RF communication circuit 116 on a substrate300, in an example embodiment. The RF communication circuit 116 asillustrated includes all three antennas 200, 202, 204 disclosed herein.It is noted that particular implementations may vary depending on theprecise standards by which the various antennas 200, 202, 204communicate. Furthermore, as disclosed herein, the antennas 200, 202,204 may not necessarily be included on the substrate 200 but rather maybe coupled to the remaining componentry of the RF communication circuit116.

In the illustrated example, the antennas 200, 202, 204 are silver orcopper traces screen printed on the substrate 300. In such an example,the substrate 300 is substantially flexible, though variousimplementations provide for a substantially rigid substrate 300.Additionally, the antennas 200, 202, 204 may be disposed on or otherwisecoupled to the substrate according to any suitable method or mechanismknown or that may be developed and may be formed of any of a variety ofsuitable materials known or that may be developed.

As illustrated, the first and second antennas 200, 202 are air-tuned andbody-tuned, respectively, based on differences in their respectivelengths 302, 304 and/or other physical properties of the antennas 200,202. In an example, the first antenna 200 is a WT-A522 UHF antenna byFUJITSU Group. The antennas 200, 202 may be understood to be tuned toany particular environment or medium such that physical properties ofthe antenna 200, 202 are selected or varied to increase or optimize oneor more aspect of antenna performance within the particular environmentor medium. Thus, for instance, the first antenna 200, which is tuned fortransmission through air, may have a higher signal strength, lowersignal loss, higher data rate, and/or greater range through air thanthrough other environments or media, such as through a human body. In anexample, the signal characteristics of the first antenna 200 are thesame or substantially the same through air as the signal characteristicsof the second antenna 202 through the human body.

In various examples, in addition to being tuned for air and body,respectively, the first and second antennas 200, 202 are also tuned tothe structure 102 of the wearable article 100. It is noted that thestructure 102 may be different for particular implementations of thewearable article 100 and that, to tune the first and second antennas200, 202, analysis may be made of the structure 102 and adjustments madeto the characteristics of the antennas 200, 202 according to thatanalysis. Factors of the structure 102 may include materials, curves orirregularities in the contours of the structure, and the like.

The third antenna 204 may similarly be tuned to communicate through thebody, though it is noted that implementations disclosed herein and thatmay be utilized for the third antenna 204 may not benefit from tuning tothe body. In particular, communication at 13.5 MHz may not besusceptible or overly susceptible to interference from the human body orthe structure 102 of the wearable article. Thus, in such circumstances,tuning of the third antenna 204 to the body may be superfluous. In anexample, the third coil 204 is an ellipsoid having dimensions of 1.5 and3.0 centimeters. In an alternative example, the third antenna 204 is atwenty-five (25) millimeter diameter wet inlay NXP ICODE SLIX coil byIDENTIV, Inc. However, various implementations of the third antenna 204and frequencies at which the third antenna 204 transmits and receivesmay benefit from tuning for a body or the structure 102 of the wearablearticle 100, in which case the principles disclosed herein with respectto the first and second antennas 200, 202.

The RF communication circuit 116 is included in one or more circuitscoupled, attached, laminated, or otherwise secured to the substrate 300.In an example, the RF communication circuit 116 is anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In various examples, theRF communication circuit 116 includes multiple ASICs, with thetransceivers 206, 208, 210 variously split between and among two or moreASICs. In an example, one ASIC includes the first transceiver 206 and asecond ASIC includes the second transceiver 208, while the thirdtransceiver 210 may either be included in the ASIC of the first orsecond transceivers 206, 208 or be a component of a separate, thirdASIC. The electronic data storage 212 may be incorporated onto one ASICand accessed by the various transceivers 206, 208, 210, may be splitbetween and among the individual ASICs, or may be a separate componentcoupled to each of the ASICs. While ASICs are discussed withparticularity, it is to be recognized and understood that the RFcommunication circuit 116 may be implemented on or with any suitableelectronics.

FIG. 4 is a depiction of a wearable article 400 including an RFcommunication circuit 402, in an example embodiment. In the illustratedexample, the wearable article 400 is a shirt, though it is emphasizedthat the wearable article 400 may be any suitable article of apparel,article of footwear, or other suitable article. The RF communicationcircuit 402 may be the RF communication circuit 116, may incorporatesome components of the RF communication circuit 116, or may be designedaccording to the principles disclosed in detail herein.

The wearable article 400 includes an information tag 404 on or in whichat least a portion of the RF communication circuit 402 is positioned.The information tag 404 may be sewn, glued, or otherwise secured to thewearable article 400. The information tag 404 includesvisually-accessible information related to the wearable article 400,such as, but not necessarily limited to, a make and model of thewearable article 100, a size of the wearable article 100, andinformation that may be utilized to prove the authenticity of thewearable article 100, such as a coded serial number. As such, the visualinformation provided by the information tag 404 may be the same orsimilar to the wireless information provided by the RF communicationcircuit 116. The visual information may also include logos related tothe manufacturer or brand of the wearable article 400, an organization,such as a sport team or league, related to decorative elements of thewearable article 400, and the like.

In various examples, not all of the antennas 200, 202, 204 are includedin the wearable article 400. In an example, only the first antenna 200and the second antenna 202 are included. In an example, only the secondantenna 202 and the third antenna 204 are included. In an example, onlythe first antenna 200 and the third antenna 204 are included.

The RF communication circuit 402 may be secured, at least in part, tothe information tag 404 by be sewn onto a surface 406 of the informationtag 404. The surface 406 may be not be externally visible to a viewer ofthe wearable article 400 and may be between the information tag 404 anda structure 408 of the wearable article 400, e.g., a textile of theshirt. Alternatively, the information tag 404 may have an internalvolume in which the RF communication circuit 402 may be secured, e.g.,where two textile elements form a pocket in which the RF communicationcircuit 402 may be placed. Further alternatively, one or more of theantennas 200, 202, 204 of the RF communication circuit 402 may be formedform conductive thread or other material and sewn into the informationtag 404 itself.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a system 500 for transmitting wirelesssignals to a wearable article 100, in an example embodiment. While thewearable article 100 will be referenced with respect to the system 500,it is noted that the wearable article 400 or any suitable wearablearticle with an air-tuned antenna and a body-tuned antenna may beutilized instead.

The system 500 includes an external transceiver 502 and external antenna504 configured to transmit and receive wireless signals 506 to at leastone of the antennas 200, 202, 204 according to at least one wirelessmodality. In various examples, the external transceiver 502 includesmultiple individual transceivers configured to transmit according to thefirst and second wireless modalities disclosed herein. In variousexamples, the external antenna 504 includes multiple individual antennasconfigured to transmit and receive the wireless signals 506 according tothe first and second wireless modalities.

The system 500 further includes a controller 508 configured to controloperation of the external transceiver 502, including by providinginformation for transmittal to the wearable article 100 and to receiveinformation provided by the wearable article 100. As such, thecontroller 508 may receive information about the wearable article 100and information about a person associated with the wearable article 100.The controller 508 is optionally coupled to one or more of an externalelectronic data storage 510 and a user interface 512, which may,respectively, be configured to store the information received from thewearable article 100 and present the information received form thewearable article 100 to a user.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for making a wearable article, in an exampleembodiment. The method may be utilized for making one or both of thewearable articles 100, 400 or any other suitable wearable article.

At 600, a structure of a wearable article is formed to enclose a bodypart.

At 602, a first antenna is positioned in a first positon on or withinthe structure, the first antenna tuned to communicate according to awireless communication modality through air.

At 604, a second antenna is positioned in a second position on or withinthe structure, the second antenna tuned to communicate according to thewireless communication modality through the body part, the first antennabeing tuned differently than the second antenna. In an example, thefirst and second antennas are further tuned to communicate according tothe wireless communication modality through the structure of the articleof footwear in addition to through air and the human foot, respectively.

At 606, a transceiver is operatively coupled to at least one of thefirst antenna and the second antenna, the transceiver configured tocommunicate with an external antenna via the at least one of the firstand second antennas according to the wireless communication modality. Inan example, the wireless communication modality is a first wirelesscommunication modality and the first wireless communication modality isan ultra high frequency (UHF) communication modality and wherein thesecond wireless communication modality is at least one of a near fieldcommunication (NFC) modality and an ISO 15693 modality. In an example,the transceiver comprises a first transceiver, wherein operativelycoupling the transceiver comprises operatively coupling the firsttransceiver to the first antenna, the first transceiver configured tocommunicate according to the wireless communication modality via thefirst antenna and a second transceiver, wherein operatively coupling thetransceiver comprises operatively coupling the second transceiver to thesecond antenna, the second transceiver configured to communicateaccording to the wireless communication modality via the second antenna.

In an example, the first and second antennas and the transceiver aredisposed on a common substrate, the first and second positions are acommon position, and positioning the first antenna and positioning thesecond antenna comprise positioning the substrate in the commonposition. In an example, the first and second antennas are discretecomponents with respect to one another and the first and secondpositions are separate with respect to one another.

At 608, a third antenna is positioned in a third position on or withinthe structure and coupled to the transceiver, the third antenna tuned toa second wireless communication modality different than the firstwireless communication modality. In an example, the structure comprisesa tongue of an article of footwear, and wherein the third position is onor within the tongue. In an example, the structure comprises an outsoleand an insole and wherein the first, second, and third positions and thetransceiver are at least one of within the outsole and between theoutsole and the insole. In an example, the transceiver comprises a firsttransceiver, wherein operatively coupling the transceiver comprisesoperatively coupling the first transceiver to the first and secondantennas, the first transceiver configured to communicate according tothe first wireless communication modality via the first and secondantennas, and a second transceiver, wherein operatively coupling thetransceiver comprises operatively coupling the second transceiver to thethird antenna, the third transceiver configured to communicate accordingto the second wireless communication modality via the third antenna.

At 610, an electronic data storage is operatively coupled to thetransceiver, the electronic data storage configured to store informationabout at least one of the wearable article; and a person associated withthe wearable article.

At 612, an information tag is secured to the structure, whereinpositioning the first antenna and positioning the second antennascomprise securing the first and second antennas, at least in part, tothe information tag. In an example, the information tag includes visualinformation related to the article of apparel, and wherein thetransceiver is configured to transmit wireless information related tothe article of apparel, the wireless information including at least someinformation included in the visual information. In an example, securingthe third antenna includes securing the third antenna to the informationtag. In an example, the information tag includes visual informationrelated to the article of apparel, and wherein the transceiver isconfigured to transmit wireless information related to the article ofapparel, the wireless information including at least some informationincluded in the visual information.

At 614, an output device is coupled to the first and second antennas,the output device configured to provide a first indication if the firstantenna receives a wireless signal and a second indication if the secondantenna receives a wireless signal. In an example, the first and secondindications are at least one of a visual indication and an audioindication.

Examples

Examples of articles, systems, and methods disclosed herein arepresented without limitation.

In Example 1, a wearable article includes a structure configured toenclose a body part, a first antenna, in a first positon on or withinthe structure, tuned to communicate according to a wirelesscommunication modality through air, a second antenna, in a secondposition on or within the structure, tuned to communicate according tothe wireless communication modality through the body part, the firstantenna being tuned differently than the second antenna, and atransceiver, operatively coupled to at least one of the first antennaand the second antenna, configured to communicate with an externalantenna via the at least one of the first and second antennas accordingto the wireless communication modality.

In Example 2, the wearable article of Example 1 optionally furtherincludes that the wireless communication modality is a first wirelesscommunication modality and further comprising a third antenna, in athird position on or within the structure and coupled to thetransceiver, tuned to a second wireless communication modality differentthan the first wireless communication modality.

In Example 3, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1 and2 optionally further includes that the first wireless communicationmodality is an ultra high frequency (UHF) communication modality andwherein the second wireless communication modality is at least one of anear field communication (NFC) modality and an ISO 15693 modality.

In Example 4, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-3optionally further includes that the wearable article is an article offootwear, wherein the structure comprises a tongue, and wherein thethird position is on or within the tongue.

In Example 5, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-4optionally further includes that the structure comprises an outsole andan insole and wherein the first, second, and third positions and thetransceiver are at least one of within the outsole and between theoutsole and the insole.

In Example 6, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-5optionally further includes that the transceiver comprises a firsttransceiver, coupled to the first and second antennas, configured tocommunicate according to the first wireless communication modality viathe first and second antennas and a second transceiver, coupled to thethird antenna, configured to communicate according to the secondwireless communication modality via the third antenna.

In Example 7, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-6optionally further includes that the transceiver comprises a firsttransceiver, coupled to the first antenna, configured to communicateaccording to the wireless communication modality via the first antennaand a second transceiver, coupled to the second antenna, configured tocommunicate according to the wireless communication modality via thesecond antenna.

In Example 8, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-7optionally further includes that the first and second antennas and thetransceiver are disposed on a common substrate, the first and secondpositions are a common position, and the substrate is positioned in thecommon position.

In Example 9, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-8optionally further includes that the first and second antennas arediscrete components with respect to one another and the first and secondpositions are separate with respect to one another.

In Example 10, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-9optionally further includes an electronic data storage, operativelycoupled to the transceiver, configured to store information about atleast one of the wearable article; and a person associated with thewearable article.

In Example 11, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-10optionally further includes that the first and second antennas arefurther tuned to communicate according to the wireless communicationmodality through the structure of the article of footwear in addition tothrough air and the human foot, respectively.

In Example 12, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-11optionally further includes an information tag secured to the structure,wherein the first and second antennas are secured, at least in part, tothe information tag.

In Example 13, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-12optionally further includes that the information tag includes visualinformation related to the article of apparel, and wherein thetransceiver is configured to transmit wireless information related tothe article of apparel, the wireless information including at least someinformation included in the visual information.

In Example 14, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-13optionally further includes that the wireless communication modality isa first wireless communication modality and further comprising a thirdantenna, secured, at least in part, to the information tag and coupledto the transceiver, the third antenna tuned to a second wirelesscommunication modality different than the first wireless communicationmodality.

In Example 15, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-14optionally further includes that the information tag includes visualinformation related to the article of apparel, and wherein thetransceiver is configured to transmit wireless information related tothe article of apparel, the wireless information including at least someinformation included in the visual information.

In Example 16, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-15optionally further includes an output device, coupled to the first andsecond antennas, configured to provide a first indication if the firstantenna receives a wireless signal and a second indication if the secondantenna receives a wireless signal.

In Example 17, the wearable article of any one or more of Examples 1-16optionally further includes that the first and second indications are atleast one of a visual indication and an audio indication.

In Example 18, a method includes forming a structure configured toenclose a body part, positioning a first antenna in a first positon onor within the structure, the first antenna tuned to communicateaccording to a wireless communication modality through air, positioninga second antenna in a second position on or within the structure, thesecond antenna tuned to communicate according to the wirelesscommunication modality through the body part, the first antenna beingtuned differently than the second antenna, and operatively coupling atransceiver to at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna,the transceiver configured to communicate with an external antenna viathe at least one of the first and second antennas according to thewireless communication modality.

In Example 19, the method of Example 18 optionally further includes thatthe wireless communication modality is a first wireless communicationmodality and further comprises positioning a third antenna in a thirdposition on or within the structure and coupled to the transceiver, thethird antenna tuned to a second wireless communication modalitydifferent than the first wireless communication modality.

In Example 20, the method of any one or more of Examples 18 and 19optionally further includes that the first wireless communicationmodality is an ultra high frequency (UHF) communication modality andwherein the second wireless communication modality is at least one of anear field communication (NFC) modality and an ISO 15693 modality.

In Example 21, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-20optionally further includes that the structure comprises a tongue of anarticle of footwear, and wherein the third position is on or within thetongue.

In Example 22, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-21optionally further includes that the structure comprises an outsole andan insole and wherein the first, second, and third positions and thetransceiver are at least one of within the outsole and between theoutsole and the insole.

In Example 23, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-22optionally further includes that the transceiver comprises a firsttransceiver, wherein operatively coupling the transceiver comprisesoperatively coupling the first transceiver to the first and secondantennas, the first transceiver configured to communicate according tothe first wireless communication modality via the first and secondantennas; and a second transceiver, wherein operatively coupling thetransceiver comprises operatively coupling the second transceiver to thethird antenna, the third transceiver configured to communicate accordingto the second wireless communication modality via the third antenna.

In Example 24, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-23optionally further includes that the transceiver comprises a firsttransceiver, wherein operatively coupling the transceiver comprisesoperatively coupling the first transceiver to the first antenna, thefirst transceiver configured to communicate according to the wirelesscommunication modality via the first antenna; and a second transceiver,wherein operatively coupling the transceiver comprises operativelycoupling the second transceiver to the second antenna, the secondtransceiver configured to communicate according to the wirelesscommunication modality via the second antenna.

In Example 25, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-24optionally further includes that the first and second antennas and thetransceiver are disposed on a common substrate, the first and secondpositions are a common position, and positioning the first antenna andpositioning the second antenna comprise positioning the substrate in thecommon position.

In Example 26, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-25optionally further includes that the first and second antennas arediscrete components with respect to one another and the first and secondpositions are separate with respect to one another.

In Example 27, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-26optionally further includes operatively coupling an electronic datastorage to the transceiver, the electronic data storage configured tostore information about at least one of the wearable article; and aperson associated with the wearable article.

In Example 28, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-27optionally further includes that the first and second antennas arefurther tuned to communicate according to the wireless communicationmodality through the structure of the article of footwear in addition tothrough air and the human foot, respectively.

In Example 29, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-28optionally further includes securing an information tag to thestructure, wherein positioning the first antenna and positioning thesecond antennas comprise securing the first and second antennas, atleast in part, to the information tag.

In Example 30, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-29optionally further includes that the information tag includes visualinformation related to the article of apparel, and wherein thetransceiver is configured to transmit wireless information related tothe article of apparel, the wireless information including at least someinformation included in the visual information.

In Example 31, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-30optionally further includes that the wireless communication modality isa first wireless communication modality and further comprises securing athird antenna, at least in part, to the information tag and coupled tothe transceiver, the third antenna tuned to a second wirelesscommunication modality different than the first wireless communicationmodality.

In Example 32, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-31optionally further includes that the information tag includes visualinformation related to the article of apparel, and wherein thetransceiver is configured to transmit wireless information related tothe article of apparel, the wireless information including at least someinformation included in the visual information.

In Example 33, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-32optionally further includes coupling an output device to the first andsecond antennas, the output device configured to provide a firstindication if the first antenna receives a wireless signal and a secondindication if the second antenna receives a wireless signal.

In Example 34, the method of any one or more of Examples 18-33optionally further includes that the first and second indications are atleast one of a visual indication and an audio indication.

In Example 35, a system includes the wearable article of any one or moreof Examples 1-17 and optionally further includes an external transceivercoupled to an external antenna configured to communication according tothe wireless communication modality.

In Example 36, the system of Example 35 optionally further includes thatthe external antenna is configured to communicate according to at leastone of the first and second wireless communication modalities.

In Example 37, the system of any one or more of Examples 35 and 36optionally further include one or more of an electronic data storage, acontroller, and a user interface operatively coupled to the externaltransceiver.

As used herein, the term “memory” refers to a machine-readable mediumable to store data temporarily or permanently and may be taken toinclude, but not be limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read-onlymemory (ROM), buffer memory, flash memory, ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), andcache memory. The term “machine-readable medium” should be taken toinclude a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized ordistributed database, or associated caches and servers) able to storeinstructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken toinclude any medium, or combination of multiple media, that is capable ofstoring instructions (e.g., software) for execution by a machine, suchthat the instructions, when executed by one or more processors of themachine, cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies described herein. Accordingly, a “machine-readable medium”refers to a single storage apparatus or device, as well as “cloud-based”storage systems or storage networks that include multiple storageapparatus or devices. The term “machine-readable medium” shallaccordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, one or more datarepositories in the form of a solid-state memory, an optical medium, amagnetic medium, or any suitable combination thereof.

Throughout this specification, plural instances may implementcomponents, operations, or structures described as a single instance.Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustratedand described as separate operations, one or more of the individualoperations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that theoperations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures andfunctionality presented as separate components in example configurationsmay be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly,structures and functionality presented as a single component may beimplemented as separate components. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of thesubject matter herein.

Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic or a numberof components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may constitute eithersoftware modules (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium or ina transmission signal) or hardware modules. A “hardware module” is atangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may beconfigured or arranged in a certain physical manner. In various exampleembodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone computersystem, a client computer system, or a server computer system) or one ormore hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a groupof processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application orapplication portion) as a hardware module that operates to performcertain operations as described herein.

In some embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented mechanically,electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, ahardware module may include dedicated circuitry or logic that ispermanently configured to perform certain operations. For example, ahardware module may be a special-purpose processor, such as a fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA) or an ASIC. A hardware module may alsoinclude programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configuredby software to perform certain operations. For example, a hardwaremodule may include software encompassed within a general-purposeprocessor or other programmable processor. It will be appreciated thatthe decision to implement a hardware module mechanically, in dedicatedand permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configuredcircuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and timeconsiderations.

Accordingly, the phrase “hardware module” should be understood toencompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physicallyconstructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or toperform certain operations described herein. As used herein,“hardware-implemented module” refers to a hardware module. Consideringembodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g.,programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configured orinstantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where a hardwaremodule comprises a general-purpose processor configured by software tobecome a special-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor may beconfigured as respectively different special-purpose processors (e.g.,comprising different hardware modules) at different times. Software mayaccordingly configure a processor, for example, to constitute aparticular hardware module at one instance of time and to constitute adifferent hardware module at a different instance of time.

Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive informationfrom, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardwaremodules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiplehardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may be achievedthrough signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses)between or among two or more of the hardware modules. In embodiments inwhich multiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated atdifferent times, communications between such hardware modules may beachieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of informationin memory structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access.For example, one hardware module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a latertime, access the memory device to retrieve and process the storedoutput. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input oroutput devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions describedherein. As used herein, “processor-implemented module” refers to ahardware module implemented using one or more processors.

Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partiallyprocessor-implemented, a processor being an example of hardware. Forexample, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed byone or more processors or processor-implemented modules. Moreover, theone or more processors may also operate to support performance of therelevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a “softwareas a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations maybe performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines includingprocessors), with these operations being accessible via a network (e.g.,the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., anapplication program interface (API)).

The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed amongthe one or more processors, not only residing within a single machine,but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments,the one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may belocated in a single geographic location (e.g., within a homeenvironment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other exampleembodiments, the one or more processors or processor-implemented modulesmay be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

Some portions of this specification are presented in terms of algorithmsor symbolic representations of operations on data stored as bits orbinary digital signals within a machine memory (e.g., a computermemory). These algorithms or symbolic representations are examples oftechniques used by those of ordinary skill in the data processing artsto convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Asused herein, an “algorithm” is a self-consistent sequence of operationsor similar processing leading to a desired result. In this context,algorithms and operations involve physical manipulation of physicalquantities. Typically, but not necessarily, such quantities may take theform of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of beingstored, accessed, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwisemanipulated by a machine. It is convenient at times, principally forreasons of common usage, to refer to such signals using words such as“data,” “content,” “bits,” “values,” “elements,” “symbols,”“characters,” “terms,” “numbers,” “numerals,” or the like. These words,however, are merely convenient labels and are to be associated withappropriate physical quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions orprocesses of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transformsdata represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical)quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, or any suitable combination thereof), registers, orother machine components that receive, store, transmit, or displayinformation. Furthermore, unless specifically stated otherwise, theterms “a” or “an” are herein used, as is common in patent documents, toinclude one or more than one instance. Finally, as used herein, theconjunction “or” refers to a non-exclusive “or,” unless specificallystated otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable article, comprising: a structureconfigured to enclose a body part of a wearer, the body part differentthan the structure; a first antenna, laid out in a first position on orwithin the structure, the first antenna configured to emit and receivewireless signals and laid out to transmit and receive according to awireless communication modality through air, the first positionconfigured to allow the first antenna to transmit and receive troughair; a second antenna, laid out in a second position on or within thestructure, the second antenna configured to emit and receive wirelesssignals and laid out to transmit and receive according to the wirelesscommunication modality through the body part, the first antenna beingtuned differently than the second antenna, the second position spacedapart from the first position and configured to allow the second antennato transmit and receive trough the body part; and a transceiver,disposed on or within the structure and operatively coupled the firstantenna and the second antenna, the transceiver configured toselectively cause one of the first antenna and the second antenna tocommunicate with an external antenna of an external system bytransmitting and receiving data via the at least one of the first andsecond antennas according to the wireless communication modality,wherein the transceiver is configured to receive information from theexternal system and transmit information to the external system.
 2. Thewearable article of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication modalityis one of an ultra high frequency (UHF) communication modality, a nearfield communication (NFC) modality, or an ISO 15693 modality.
 3. Thewearable article of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises: a firsttransceiver, coupled to the first antenna, configured to transmit andreceive according to the wireless communication modality via the firstantenna; and a second transceiver, coupled to the second antenna,configured to transmit and receive according to the wirelesscommunication modality via the second antenna.
 4. The wearable articleof claim 1, wherein the first and second antennas and the transceiverare disposed on a common substrate, the first and second positions are acommon position, and the substrate is positioned in the common position.5. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the first and secondantennas are discrete components with respect to one another and thefirst and second positions are separate with respect to one another. 6.The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the information is about atleast one of: the wearable article; or a person associated with thewearable article.
 7. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the firstand second antennas are further tuned to transmit and receive accordingto the wireless communication modality through the structure of thearticle of footwear in addition to through air and the human foot,respectively.
 8. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein theinformation includes visual information related to the article ofapparel.
 9. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the structurecomprises an upper for an article of footwear and a sole structure,wherein the first and second antennas are positioned on or within thesole structure and the transceiver is positioned on or within the solestructure.
 10. The wearable article of claim 1, further comprising anoutput device, coupled to the first and second antennas, configured toprovide a first indication if the first antenna receives a wirelesssignal and a second indication if the second antenna receives a wirelesssignal.
 11. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the first andsecond indications are at least one of a visual indication and an audioindication.
 12. A method of making a wearable article, comprising:forming a structure to enclose a body part of a wearer, the body partdifferent than the structure; laying out a first antenna in a firstposition on or within the structure, the first antenna configured toemit and receive wireless signals and laid out to transmit and receiveaccording to a wireless communication modality through air, the firstposition configured to allow the first antenna to transmit and receivetrough air; laying out a second antenna in a second position on orwithin the structure, the second antenna configured to emit and receivewireless signals and laid out to transmit and receive according to thewireless communication modality through the body part, the first antennabeing tuned differently than the second antenna, the second positionspaced apart from the first position and configured to allow the secondantenna to transmit and receive trough the body part; and disposing atransceiver on or within the structure and operatively coupling thetransceiver to the first antenna and the second antenna, the transceiverconfigured to selectively cause one of the first antenna and the secondantenna to communicate with an external antenna of an external system bytransmitting and receiving data via the at least one of the first andsecond antennas according to the wireless communication modality,wherein the transceiver is configured to receive information from theexternal system and transmit information to the external system.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication modality is oneof an ultra high frequency (UHF) communication modality, a near fieldcommunication (NFC) modality, or an ISO 15693 modality.
 14. The methodof claim 12, wherein disposing the transceiver comprises: coupling afirst transceiver to the first antenna, the first transceiver configuredto transmit and receive data according to the wireless communicationmodality via the first antenna; and coupling a second transceiver to thesecond antenna, the second antenna configured to transmit and receivedata according to the wireless communication modality via the secondantenna.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein laying out the firstantenna, laying out the second antenna, and disposing the transceiverare done on a common substrate, the first and second positions are acommon position, and the substrate is positioned in the common position.16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second antennas arediscrete components with respect to one another and the first and secondpositions are separate with respect to one another.
 17. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the information is about at least one of: the wearablearticle; or a person associated with the wearable article.
 18. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the first and second antennas are furthertuned to transmit and receive according to the wireless communicationmodality through the structure of the article of footwear in addition tothrough air and the human foot, respectively.
 19. The method of claim12, wherein the information includes visual information related to thearticle of apparel.
 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the structurecomprises an upper for an article of footwear and a sole structure,wherein the first and second antennas are positioned on or within thesole structure and the transceiver is positioned on or within the solestructure.